China, Eastern Jin Dynasty, 317–420 AD

China, Eastern Jin Dynasty, 317–420 AD
Jug with a spout shaped like a rooster’s head.
High-fired stoneware with celadon glaze, Yue style.
Incised decoration and modeled appliqués.
Piece is intact. It shows surface wear, earthy deposits, and small areas of glaze loss consistent with its age.
Measurements: 36 × 19 cm in diameter.

Due to its remarkable size, its integrity, and the complexity of its ornamentation, this jug is an outstanding example of the so-called “chicken-headed ewers,” one of the most characteristic types of celadon ceramics produced in southern China during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Yue kilns, located in present-day Zhejiang Province, played a decisive role in the development of these high-fired stoneware ceramics, covered with greenish-gray glazes that constitute one of the main precursors to the great Chinese celadon tradition.

The piece features an ovoid body raised on a ring-shaped foot, rounded shoulders, and a tall neck marked by pronounced horizontal ridges. The spout, modeled as a rooster’s head with carefully defined plumage, eyes, and crest, contrasts with a large arched handle that rises to the rim.

The incised decoration is also noteworthy. Broad lanceolate leaves are arranged on the shoulders, while a central band of undulations and spirals runs along the body, enlivened by numerous impressed dots. The small modeled appendages and the sculptural treatment of the handle reinforce the vessel’s sculptural character.

Early examples of this type have been documented primarily in funerary contexts, where they served as grave goods intended to accompany the deceased. Comparable pieces from the Eastern Jin period are held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museums, and the Brooklyn Museum, institutions that likewise classify them as stoneware or high-fired ceramics with celadon glaze in the Yue tradition.